Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Central Heating

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have a preferred alternative source of fuel for domestic central heating of homes not on the gas grid.

lord henley: The Clean Growth Strategy committed Government to phase out the use of fossil fuel heating in all buildings off the gas grid. Last year we engaged widely with industry and consumers to gather evidence to inform policy decisions. Respondents felt that it was highly likely that a range of technologies would be needed and that there was no single solution that would be appropriate for all buildings.

Combined Heat and Power

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage the installation of domestic combined heat and power systems.

lord henley: Government has encouraged the installation of domestic micro-combined heat and power systems (with an electrical capacity of 2 kilowatts or less) through the Feed-in Tariffs scheme which was introduced in April 2010.

Carbon Emissions

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how, in developing policies to reduce annual average carbon emissions, they collaborate with other countries who share the same objectives.

lord henley: We work collaboratively with other countries to tackle climate change in a variety ways including via multi-lateral fora and global alliances.We work on climate via the G7 and G20; we promote ambitious action alongside other countries via the High Ambition Coalition and we drive collective action on the ground through, for example, our hosting of the world’s first zero emission vehicle summit; and creation of Powering Past Coal Alliance, to reduce emissions from the most polluting fuel, which now has over 70 members. We play a key role within the UN Climate Framework, helping secure the agreement of 195 countries to sign up to the historic Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and then bringing it to life last year at COP24 via the creation of a common rulebook. We are also working with our UN partners to ensure the Secretary General’s Climate Summit in September 2019 brings together key international actors, across the public and private sectors, to drive transformative action on building resilience to climate change.UK leadership is reflected in the actions of other countries. For example, we were the first country to introduce long-term legally binding emission reduction target, which has now been emulated across the world, including by France, Denmark, Sweden and Mexico

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a statement from the Institute of Directors regarding the impact of Brexit uncertainty on consumption and investment in UK businesses.

lord henley: Leaving the EU with a deal is the Government’s top priority. However, the Government is accelerating no deal preparations to ensure the country is prepared for every eventuality; this is the responsible thing to do.On 26 February the Government published its latest assessment of the implications for business and international trade in the UK, if it leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March. The paper is available on GOV.UK.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in regular contact with many businesses and representative organisations, including the Institute of Directors, to ensure we understand their concerns and can help them to prepare.

Consumers: Protection

baroness wilcox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the long-term protection of UK consumers after their financial support for the UK European Consumer Centre ends in March 2020.

lord henley: In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to provide consumers with advice about cross-border purchases. However, delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. The UK remains committed to providing the highest standards of protection to UK consumers. For example, we will publish a comprehensive Consumer White Paper this year to ensure markets provide consumers with competitive prices and quality products and services.

Consumers: Protection

baroness wilcox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they to ensure that cross-border consumer protection data to inform national and international enforcement continues once funding for the UK European Consumer Centre ends in March 2020.

lord henley: Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality. In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to provide consumers with advice about cross-border purchases. In the event of a no deal exit, UK and EU enforcers will no longer be obliged to cooperate with each other under the terms of the CPC Regulation and Injunctions Directive. However, under the Enterprise Act 2002, UK public bodies will continue to have a power to share information they hold in their capacity as enforcers under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act with their foreign counterparts.

Consumers: Protection

baroness wilcox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to replace the UK European Consumer Centre’s role in sharing intelligence within the European enforcement network after March 2020, to ensure that cross-border criminal breaches and so-called "problem" traders are identified and dealt with appropriately.

lord henley: Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the Government must prepare for every eventuality. In the event of a no deal exit, the Government has committed to fund the UK’s European Consumer Centre for at least one year. We will use this time to assess the landscape post EU exit and determine the most effective way to support consumers shopping across borders. In the event of a no deal exit, UK and EU enforcers will no longer be obliged to cooperate with each other under the terms of the CPC Regulation and Injunctions Directive. However, under the Enterprise Act 2002, UK public bodies will continue to have a power to share information they hold in their capacity as enforcers under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act with their foreign counterparts.

Life Sciences

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that a no-deal Brexit could have on growth in the UK life sciences sector.

lord henley: On 28th November 2018 the Government laid before Parliament the document entitled, “EU Exit: Long-term economic analysis” which was intended to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny ahead of the Meaningful Vote on the final deal. The purpose of this analysis was to illustrate high level impacts on the UK from different EU Exit scenarios. It included associated costs for five broad sector groups across the economy, which together cover the majority of the UK economy and all traded goods and services: ○ Manufactured Goods○ Agri-food;○ Services (Non-Financial and Non-Networks);○ Financial Services;○ Networks; Extensive engagement has also taken place and is continuing between Government and the life sciences sector, to better understand the implications of different no-deal scenarios on the sector.

Pedlars Act 1871

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to updating the Pedlars' Act 1871, as amended in 1881.

lord henley: The Government considers the effectiveness of legislation periodically and will take action where appropriate.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Commonwealth: Trade

lord chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018 and the launch of the SheTrades Commonwealth programme in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, how many of the 2,300 women entrepreneurs that registered and 518 companies that attended capacity building events have subsequently initiated or expanded their international trade to date; and what monitoring systems are in place for the future assessment of the efficacy of that programme.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The SheTrades Commonwealth programme has now supported 842 women-owned companies at capacity building and training events. To date, 144 of those companies have consequently participated in trade fairs, subsequently reporting £12.4 million worth of export leads.The programme adheres to the Department for International Development's monitoring and evaluation standards. Key indicators are tracked through a robust results framework to ensure the women entrepreneurs we support are more competitive and improve their access to markets, and that the taxpayer is getting value for money.

Hong Kong: Extradition

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amendment by the authorities in Hong Kongto its extradition law to allow criminals to be extradited from Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China; and whether thisamendment is compliant with the rights protected in the Sino-British Joint Declaration ratified in 1985.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the Hong Kong Government's proposals to change extradition legislation and are following the matter closely. A public consultation on the proposals will end next month. It would not be appropriate to comment as the proposal goes through the legislative process.It remains the British Government's view that, for Hong Kong's future success, it is essential that Hong Kong enjoys, and is seen to enjoy, the full measure of its high degree of autonomy and rule of law as set out in the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law, in keeping with the commitment to "One Country, Two Systems".

Asia Bibi

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have requested from the government of Pakistan about the health and well-being of Asia Bibi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the Prime Minister has made clear in Parliament, the British Government's primary concern has always been the safety and well-being of Asia Bibi and her family. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi has publicly affirmed that the Pakistan authorities will continue to do everything necessary to ensure her safety, a point he reaffirmed during my recent meeting with him in Islamabad. The Government of Pakistan has also confirmed that Asia Bibi is free to make her own decisions and to leave Pakistan should she wish to.

Russia: Human Rights

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that Lev Shlosberg and the Pskov branch of the Russian opposition party Yabloko were subjected to a search and seizure of documents and a computer hard disk in their office on 13 February; (2) that Lev Shlosberg has allegedly suffered beatings for his reporting of the "unknown" graves of Russian soldiers sent to East Ukraine; and (3) that the journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva was arrested and interrogated after her criticism of state policies.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made specific assessments of each of these cases, but we do see all three as further signs of the continuing harassment facing opposition political parties and journalists in Russia. The interests of the Russian people would be best served by a free press and safe political spaces for dissenting views to be heard.

Russia: Human Rights

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Russia about any attacks on the democratic opposition in Russia and on free speech.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned about continued restrictions on the opposition and free speech in Russia. The Minister for Europe and the Americas made several public statements last year calling for the release or fair trial of dozens of political prisoners held by Russian authorities, including historian Oyub Titiev in Chechnya and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov in Ukraine. The interests of the Russian people would be best served by a political system based on strong institutions, such as an independent judiciary and a free press, together with a safe political space for dissenting views to be heard and free and fair elections.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving, together with other European members of the UN Human Rights Council, to the special rapporteur appointed to consider the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the investigation by the UN Special Rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. We will consider the report closely ahead of the UN Human Rights Council.

Jamal Khashoggi

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Turkey’s request for those accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to be returned to stand trial in that country; and whether they support that government’s request.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The ongoing Saudi judicial process is an important element in the process to establish accountability. We expect it to proceed in line with internationally recognised legal standards.

Syria: Islamic State

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, and with whom,about the future of prisoners who are, or were, members of ISIS or were imprisoned for similar reasons in north-east Syria by the Syrian Defence Forces, together with their wives and children;and if so, what were the outcomes of any such discussions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are in ongoing discussions with our partners concerning the future of Daesh members detained by the Syrian Defence Forces in north east Syria, as well as their wives and children. The British Government is committed to making sure that individuals who have fought for, or supported, Daesh, whatever their nationality, should face justice for their crimes in the most appropriate jurisdiction.

Pakistan: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the UN Paris Principles, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, including the provisions which require such institutions to maintain their independence from the national governments; and if so, what representations they have made to the government of Pakistanabout the National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan maintaining its independence from theFederal Ministry of Human Rights of Pakistan.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with the government of Pakistan about ensuringthat the Federal Ministry of Human Rights of Pakistan does not curtail the independence of the National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan by controlling its financial resources.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of whether (1) the National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan is free to submit independent reports to UN bodies, as required by the UN Paris Principles; and (2) the Chairman and members of the National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan are free to travel to participate in committees of the UN.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Promoting human rights is a fundamental part of the British Government's diplomatic work, including in Pakistan.We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations. This includes ensuring that the human rights institutional structures and processes necessary to discharge its international commitments are in place in line with international standards.We maintain a regular dialogue with the National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan about their concerns. I discussed these concerns with the Chairman of the National Commission during my visit to Pakistan on 18 and 19 February. I also raised human rights issues with the Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during the same visit.

Cabinet Office

Public Procurement Review Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 5 February (HL13233), what was their assessment of the spot checks carried out by (1) the Mystery Shopper Service, and (2) the Public Procurement Review Service; and what actions were taken as a result.

lord young of cookham: Of the spot checks on compliance with Regulation 113 (7) of the Public Contracting Regulations 2015 the Mystery Shopper team identified an initial 32% compliance rate 2015/16. After the team reminded the bodies concerned that they are required to comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, there was an increase in compliance to 80% December 2018. All public bodies not complying with the regulations were notified of their obligation to do soThe Mystery Shopper team was renamed the Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) team in November 2018. Results for the PPRS are yet to be fully assessed.  A summary of the findings from spot checks conducted by the PPRS team will be included in the PPRS Progress Report, which will be published later this year.

Public Procurement Review Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 5 February (HL13233), whether they will publish the results of spot checks carried out by the Public Procurement Review Service this financial year including (1) how many contracting authorities were compliant with their duty to publish payment performance, (2) how many were non-compliant, (3) what percentage of invoices were paid within 30 days, (4) what was the total interest liability owed for late payment, and (5) what was the total interest liability paid.

lord young of cookham: A summary of the findings from spot checks conducted by the PPRS team will be included in the PPRS Progress Report, which we are committed to publishing on Gov.uk later this year.

Sign Language: Telecommunications

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to offer the same access to public service information by video relay services for sign language users as currently offered in Scotland.

lord young of cookham: The UK Government is committed to making sure that online government services are accessible to all citizens, and that they offer an appropriate alternative channels where citizens are not online. This includes British Sign Language as part of any reasonable adjustments needed to access services.  The Government Digital Service (“GDS”) provides guidance to help departments make their online services and information accessible. Accessibility is one of the standards against which the GDS assesses the development of central government digital services and our accompanying guidance makes it clear that people with disabilities have to be included in user research and usability testing.  The new Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 aim to improve access to online public services for citizens. This will include best practice advice enabling website owners to develop accessibility statements which meet the needs of their users. It will be for individual website owners to determine whether it is appropriate to provide additional content or additional mechanisms such as Video Relay Interpreting Systems, depending on the size of the organisation and the number and demographics of their users.  HM Revenue & Customs includes routes to Video Interpreting Service and British Sign Language captioned video resources on GOV.UK in support of those with additional needs. In January, the Department for Work and Pensions launched a Video Relay Service to make it easier for Deaf BSL citizens to call their helplines through a BSL video interpreter and, from April, BSL interpreted calls can be made to the department’s Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helpline.

Department of Health and Social Care

General Practitioners: Pensions

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimatethey have made of the numbers of GPs who have left the NHS pension scheme aged between (1) 50 and 55, and (2) 55 and 59, years old in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, and (d) 2018.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The information is not collected in the format requested and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost. The NHS Pension Scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, who do not collect data on the number of retirements in the specific age groups requested. General practitioners (GPs) may leave the scheme for various reasons, such as claiming a pension on normal age grounds at or beyond normal pension age, claiming a pension early on ill-health grounds, claiming a pension on voluntary early retirement grounds, or opting out of the scheme. Information is not currently available on the number of GPs who have opted out of the scheme disaggregated from broader scheme membership.

Food: Advertising

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the results of the consultation announced in Childhood obesity: a plan for action chapter 2, published in June 2018, on the introduction of a watershed for TV advertising of High in Fat, Salt or Sugar (HFSS) products and similar protection for children viewing adverts forHFSS products online will be published.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We will shortly be launching the consultation on introducing a 9pm watershed for products high in fat, salt and sugar on TV and similar protection for children viewing adverts online. We will consider all responses to the consultation before setting out the next steps later in the year.

Hospitals: Food

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost of a meal provided in a hospital in England to (1) patients, and (2) staff.

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hospitals in England provide a cooked meal to staff during the night shift.

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much vending machines providers pay for the right to be situated in hospital lobbies in England.

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of hospitals in England which have (1) food outlets, and (2) vending machine providers, which sell junk food; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such food being sold on (a) patient, and (b) staff health.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Data is not collected centrally on the average cost of staff meals, the number of hospitals which provide a cooked meal to staff during the night or how much vending machines providers pay for the right to be situated in hospital lobbies.Information is not held on the number of hospitals which have food outlets and vending machine providers which sell junk food and there has not been any specific assessment of the impact of junk food sold in hospitals on patient or staff health.The Department collects data from National Health Service trusts for the total ‘inpatient food service cost’ and ‘inpatient main meals requested’ which gives the national average of cost per patient main meal of £4.20 for 2017-18. The cost is inclusive of all pay and non-pay costs, including provisions, ward issues, disposables, equipment and its maintenance.

Autism: Psychiatric Hospitals

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the National Autistic SocietyBeyond Transforming Care: What needs to change?, published in December 2018, what steps they are taking to reduce the 24 per cent increase in autistic people without an accompanying learning disability placed in mental health hospitals.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help release autistic people identified as not needing inpatient care from mental health hospitals.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to lower the number of autistic people in mental health hospitals who have been in inpatient care for five years or more; and if so, how.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to advise and support families attempting to secure the discharge of autistic relatives from mental health hospitals.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In Building the right support we have a plan to build capacity and services in the community in order to reduce reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability, and for autistic people and so that they can be appropriately supported to live in the community. A copy of Building the right support is attached. Supporting people on the autism spectrum or with learning disabilities is one of the four clinical priority areas in the NHS Long Term Plan published on 7 January 2019. This commits to implementing the Building the right support plan in full, achieving at least a 50% reduction in the number of people with a learning disability or autism who are inpatients, compared to the figure in 2015, by the end of 2023/24. The National Health Service national planning guidance requires a 35% reduction in inpatients as quickly as possible and no later than the end of 2019/20. The Long Term Plan also commits to ensuring that every local economy has specialist community provision. Every local health system will be expected to use some of its growing community health services investment to have a seven-day specialist multidisciplinary service and crisis care to prevent people with learning disability and autistic people, from needing hospital inpatient care. One of the principles of the service model of Building the right support is that people with a learning disability and autistic people should be supported to live in the community with support from and for their families or carers as well as paid support and care staff – with training made available for families or carers, support and respite for families/carers.Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRS): Policy and Guidance sets how the family should be involved through the process of review to ensure that the care and treatment and differing support needs of the person and their families are met. A copy of Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRS): Policy and Guidance is attached.On 5 December 2018, the Department for Health and Social Care announced that we will be launching a comprehensive review of Think Autism, the national autism strategy. We want an autism strategy that works for all autistic people, and that is why, working very closely with the Department for Education, we will be extending the strategy to include children.



Building the right support
(PDF Document, 1.74 MB)




Care and Treatment Reviews Policy and Guidance
(PDF Document, 1.15 MB)

Autism

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase understanding of the autistic spectrum among the health and care services; and if so, how.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In line with the statutory guidance for the Autism Act 2009, local authorities and National Health Service organisations in England should ensure that those working in health and social care receive not only general autism awareness training but different levels of specialist training relevant to their roles, where this is needed to fulfil their responsibilities.Health Education England is leading the development of an Autism Core Competency Education and Training Framework. The Framework, which is expected to be completed by summer 2019, will set out the different levels of skills and competencies needed to meet the specific needs of autistic people. We expect the Framework to be used by local NHS and social care organisations to inform the content of training and determine the appropriate level of training needed by their staff in autism awareness.We are also currently consulting on proposals for mandatory learning disability and autism training for health and care staff. The proposals under consideration will ensure that staff working in health and social care have the right training to understand the needs of people with a learning disability and autistic people and the skills to provide the most effective care and support.The consultation ends on the 12 April. Following this, we will review the responses received and carefully consider the next steps.

Department for Education

School Libraries

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that every primary and secondary school is equipped with an adequate school library.

lord agnew of oulton: It is for individual schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. It is clear, however, that many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided. The 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study indicated that 92% of year 5 pupils in England were attending a school where there was a library. This was above the international average of 87%.

Breast Ironing

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidance to local authority children's services, childcare providers and schools on how to detect and prevent breast ironing; and if so, when such guidance will be issued.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is committed to protecting children and young people from all forms of abuse and neglect. Professionals should follow the attached statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) to deal with breast ironing, as with any other form of abuse.Schools should also have regard to the attached statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (2018).We are introducing Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education which will become mandatory in all schools from September 2020. The associated guidance sets out that pupils at secondary school should be taught to recognise when relationships (including family relationships) are unhealthy or abusive. This includes the unacceptability of neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse and violence, and addressing honour based violence and female genital mutilation. Pupils will also be taught how to get further advice, including how and where to access confidential support.  



HL13858_Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children
(PDF Document, 1.77 MB)




HL13858_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education
(PDF Document, 820.56 KB)

Pupil Exclusions

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children, broken down by age, were excluded from school in the last complete academic year.

lord agnew of oulton: Table 1, attached, taken from the National Tables of the National Statistics release ‘Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England 2016 to 2017,’ includes information on permanent and fixed period exclusions by age. Table 2, attached, shows the numbers of permanent and fixed period exclusions, broken down by age, for the academic years 2011/12 to 2016/17.



HL13872_Table_1_exclusions_2016/17
(Excel SpreadSheet, 61 KB)




HL13872_Table_2_exclusions_2011/12_to_2016/17
(Excel SpreadSheet, 83.5 KB)

National Curriculum Tests: Visual Impairment

lord blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government which institution or body within the current education framework is responsible for the prompt availability of past SAT papers in formats such as Braille and large print and to ensure that such papers are available without charge.

lord agnew of oulton: The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) develops modified versions of national curriculum tests (commonly known as SATs) in modified large print (MLP) and braille. They are primarily designed for pupils with visual impairments, although they may be suitable for pupils with other needs.Schools can request hard copies of past braille and MLP papers from the STA’s Modified Test Agency and can also access practice papers for MLP versions in the ‘practice test materials’ section of the National Curriculum Assessment Tools website.Past versions of modified tests are available free of charge to schools.

Apprentices

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that the number of apprenticeships do not decline as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

lord agnew of oulton: Our apprenticeship reforms have strengthened the quality of apprenticeships, so that employers can continue to look to them as a means of meeting their skills needs in the future.New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed by employers, creating higher quality training that will lead to a more skilled and productive economy. As an employer-led programme, employers choose the type and level of training that they need to meet their skills needs. There were 163,700 starts on apprenticeship standards in 2017/18, which is more than 6 times higher than the number of starts in 2016/17. This shows that employers are moving quickly to this new higher quality offer.Our reforms are making apprenticeships longer and better, with more off-the job training and appropriate assessment at the end. These changes are making sure that today’s apprenticeships reflect what businesses want and need.

Private Education

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to change the statutory definition of an independent school so that it includes educational provision solely for children who have not reached the age of compulsory education.

lord agnew of oulton: The department has no plans to introduce such legislation. Educational provision which is solely for children who have not reached compulsory school age is normally regulated by Ofsted as an early years setting, if it meets the criteria for registration under the Childcare Act (2006).

Academies

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government who can apply for an Academy Order to be revoked under section 5D of the Academies Act 2010; and what criteria are used for making a revocation.

lord agnew of oulton: A maintained school governing body may apply to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, to use his powers to revoke an academy order. The governing body must have agreed to apply for revocation by a majority vote for the application to be considered by the Secretary of State.The department’s statutory guidance on schools causing concern makes clear that the Secretary of State’s power to revoke an academy order will only be used in very exceptional circumstances. These circumstances may include where a maintained school is not viable, and it is most appropriate for it to close, or where Ofsted have re-inspected the school and judged that it is no longer inadequate, and the current leadership and management is capable of driving continued improvement.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Food

baroness boycott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average cost of food per prisoner, per day, in prisons in England and Wales.

lord keen of elie: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) allocates food budgets to prisons based on £2.02 per prisoner per day, which covers the daily prisoner food and beverage requirements.With increased responsibilities to Governors since April 2017, and devolved budgets to prisons, what is spent on food per prisoner per day and the breakdown per meals is ultimately a decision for each Governor and their catering team, and therefore individual prison food budgets may vary.The food budget for prisoners within privately managed prisons is agreed in the contract between the provider and the Ministry of Justice, the details of which are commercially sensitive. This is reviewed regularly.

Community Orders

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use technology to create more effective community sentencing orders; and if so, how.

lord keen of elie: Electronic monitoring technology to monitor a curfew requirement is now being augmented by satellite enabled tags that can also monitor compliance with other community requirements including exclusion zones and an offender’s attendance at a certain activity, for example, unpaid work or a rehabilitation programme. From April, it will also be possible to use the new tags to monitor an offender’s movements as a freestanding requirement of a community order. This new technology provides a tool to monitor restrictions imposed on an offender’s movements and lifestyle where it is appropriate and proportionate to do so.

Prisoners' Release

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow more prisoners to be released on temporary licence.

lord keen of elie: Research published in 2018 shows that the more a prisoner is released on temporary licence (ROTL), the less chance there is of them reoffending and we want to see ROTL used more often, particularly to get prisoners into the workplace. We are currently consulting practitioners and key stakeholders on how to deliver a more effective approach to ROTL and three Prisons, HMPs Drake Hall, Kirkham and Ford, are currently testing out the new arrangements. We expect to publish a new Policy Framework in the Spring.

Prison Sentences

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the speech by the Secretary of State for Justice on 18 FebruaryBeyond prison, redefining punishment, when they intend to bring forward their plan to remove six month custodial sentences.

lord keen of elie: There is a strong case to abolish sentences of six months or less, with some closely defined exceptions. We are therefore exploring options to restrict the use of short custodial sentences, but we have not at this stage reached any conclusions. There is persuasive evidence showing that short custodial sentences do not work in terms of rehabilitation and helping some offenders turn their backs on crime. Community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective in reducing reoffending, and therefore keeping the public safe. We do recognise that we must ensure the public and judiciary have confidence in non-custodial sentences which address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, or provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Sleeping Rough: Asylum

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) refugees, and (2) asylum seekers were included in their most recent rough sleeping statistics.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The annual single night snapshot of Rough Sleeping in Autumn 2018 was published on January 31 2019 at the link (attached) below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2018.This includes figures from all English local authority annual rough sleeping snapshots since 2010. Where appropriate, local authorities do capture some demographic information on those they identify sleeping rough including on gender, age and high level nationality (UK, Non-UK EU and Non-EU). This does not include refugee or asylum seeker status.However, this does not mean that we are not focused on these cohorts, and all those who are vulnerable and sleeping rough. London’s CHAIN data, which provides information on the individuals seen sleeping rough by outreach teams in London throughout the year does contain this information in order to better understand each individuals unique circumstances. Their latest data can be found at the link below.https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/chain-reports.This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. Already, this has provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff. In all, the Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.



Rough Sleeping Autumn 2018
(Excel SpreadSheet, 218.25 KB)

Homelessness: Asylum

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homeless people and rough sleepers were (1) refugees, and (2) asylum seekers in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017, and (f) 2018.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The number of households accepted as statutorily homeless, in England, who have been granted refugee status are provided in the table below. 2018 data is not yet available.We do not hold the specific breakdowns requested for asylum seekers or rough sleepers.  YearTotal number of households accepted as statutorily homeless and granted refugee status (England)2013690201479020151,00020161,08020171,350

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 20 February (HL13503), whether the present Prime Minister has publicly endorsed the commitment of £50 million given by her predecessor in January 2015 to kick-start a society-wide fundraising effort to deliver the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and its wider educational objectives; and if so, when.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated her support for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre to which the Government has committed £50 million. The most recent occasion was at Prime Minister’s Questions on 5 December.

Ministry of Defence

Defence Infrastructure Organisation: Billing

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each of the last three years, what percentage of invoices submitted to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation were paid to suppliers within 30 days; how many invoices were paid later than 30 days; what was the potential interest and compensation liability due to late payment; and how much interest and compensation was claimed and paid.

earl howe: The total number of invoices paid on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in Financial Years 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, along with the number paid later than 30 days and the percentage paid within thirty days, can be found in the table below. Financial YearTotal Invoices PaidPaid Later Than 30 DaysPaid Within 30 Days2015-16306,67429,85290.27%2016-17209,3086,08997.09%2017-18318,0161,94099.39% No interest or compensation due to late payment of Defence Infrastructure Organisation invoices, was claimed or paid. Information on the potential interest and compensation liability due to late payment of invoices is not held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

lord fink: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for Universal Credit Split Payments in the last 12 months were (1) made, and (2) declined.

baroness buscombe: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Carers

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Secretary of State for Work and Pension’s speech Universal Credit: personal welfare on 11 January, how the process of claiming Universal Credit and nominating a bank account will be changed so as to ensure payment is received by the main carer.

baroness buscombe: The initial work to improve the claimant messaging on the service, to encourage claimants in joint claims to utilise the bank account of the main carer when receiving their Universal Credit payment, will be completed this year. We expect this to increase the proportion of Universal Credit claims where payment is made to the main carer. Any further work will be considered following an understanding of the impact the change to messaging has had.

Universal Credit: Carers

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Secretary of State for Work and Pension’s speech Universal Credit: personal welfare on 11 January, whether reference to payment to the main carer applies to Universal Credit claimants where (1) the Carer's Allowance is paid, and (2) the carer element is included in their entitlement.

baroness buscombe: References to the main carer in this context refer to the main carer for children in a joint claim where there are children present, not to caring in the context of receiving carer’s benefits or entitlements.

Employment and Support Allowance

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, with respect to the individuals identified as entitled to income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) but who were moved to contributory-based ESA from incapacity benefit, any assessment is being carried out of the amount of housing benefit, council tax support or passported benefits to which those individuals would have been entitled; and if so, what plans there are to compensate them for this cost.

baroness buscombe: We are engaging with a number of authorities who are responsible for passported benefits to raise awareness of the Employment and Support Allowance underpayment exercise and the potential issues arising from it. This will enable Departments to understand the impacts on passported benefits they administer. DWP does not hold information on what people may or may not have claimed.We will be reviewing all those cases potentially affected and paying any arrears of past payments that are due. Our focus is on paying arrears to claimants in line with the legislation. Where DWP administers the benefit we are ensuring that payment is made in line with regulations.

Children: Poverty

lord hay of ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle child poverty across the United Kingdom.

baroness buscombe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on Wednesday 27 February HL13942There is clear evidence that work offers the best opportunity for families to move out of poverty and towards financial independence. Children in workless households are around 5 times more likely to be in poverty after housing costs than those where all adults work. 62% of children living in a workless couple family are in relative poverty (before housing costs) compared with only 3% where both adults work full-time.This is why we are continuing to undertake the most ambitious reform to the welfare system in decades – so that it supports people to find and to stay in work. Nationally, there are now over 3.5 million more people in work. Universal Credit is at the heart of these reforms. It is designed to promote full-time work and employment for partners where possible, through smoother incentives to increase hours.Working parents on UC can have up to 85% of their childcare costs reimbursed – worth up to £1,108 per month for someone with two or more children. We have also introduced additional flexibility on support for up front childcare costs, increased work allowances, and doubled free childcare available to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours per week.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether pulse fishing techniques are being used within the 6–12 mile zone of UK waters.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government recently announced that EU vessels will no longer be able to carry out electric pulse beam trawl fishing in UK waters after we leave the EU. At EU level, a recent provisional political agreement awaits adoption which will include a phase out period for pulse trawl, culminating in a ban from 1 July 2021. The Dutch are considering the implications of the EU agreement for their fleet, but it is anticipated upon adoption and coming into force this will mean a drop from around 84 vessels they have authorised to use pulse methods, to an estimated 12 vessels operating with pulse during the phase out period, in line with the 5% of their beam trawl fleet that was originally agreed by Council. There are currently six UK authorisations in place, with three (two English and one Scottish) that actually use pulse fishing, and Defra is working with Marine Management Organisation and Marine Scotland to review these licenses with a view to withdrawal. Meanwhile, under the current EU rules, there is a prohibition on beam trawling within the UK 12 mile zone for vessels with engine power of over 220kW, which includes relevant pulse-equipped beam trawl vessels. This applies to other EU Member State and UK beam trawl vessels in that gear category. In addition, under Common Fisheries Policy rules, the Netherlands, the primary exponent of pulse beam trawling, does not have access to use any beam trawl gear within our UK 6-12 mile zone. There are no reports of incursions within our 12 mile zone by Dutch pulse trawl vessels operating in the southern North Sea derogation area.

Air Pollution

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response to the recommendations made in the report by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Environmental Audit, Health and Social Care, and Transport Committees Improving air quality, published on 7 March 2018, to ensure that they align (1) climate change schemes, (2) urban planning, (3) public transport, and (4) fiscal incentives for zero emission vehicles, with air quality goals to prevent their policies from working at cross-purposes.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government responded in full to the recommendations on 22 May 2018. The Government’s focus in the immediate term is bringing forward compliance with legal limits for NO2 concentrations, and stakeholders from seven departments take part in the governance of the NO2 Plan with a view to ensuring policies are aligned. The Government published its new Clean Air Strategy on 14 January 2019, setting out a world leading plan to tackle air pollution that is aimed at all sectors of work and society.

Agriculture

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help boost growth in the UK agriculture and farming sector; and whether they anticipate that there will be a slowdown in growth in those industries in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: As we leave the EU and move into the future farming policy, we will help our farmers take advantage of the new opportunities that will become available. Our future policies will support farmers to provide more home grown, healthy produce made to high environmental and animal welfare standards. We will use powers in the Agriculture Bill to provide support for farmers to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to improve their productivity. We will work with industry and other partners to develop new approaches to research and development that build on investments such as the AgriTech Strategy and the £90 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Transforming Food Production initiative. We will explore how we can work with local authorities and other landowners to create more opportunities for new entrant farmers to get into the industry. We will improve access to data, so that farmers have the information that they need to benchmark their performance and track and manage the risks to their business. We will also introduce statutory codes of practice to improve fairness in the agricultural goods supply chain and protect producers from unfair trading practices. The Agriculture Bill creates new powers to improve how the supply chain functions, to support farmers through extreme market disturbance, safeguard producer organisations and provide diverse new sources of income for farming business. We are in new discussions about how to go further to support the sustainability of food production and protect our high food standards that are integral to supporting a competitive trading environment. Agriculture is devolved, and future policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the respective administrations. The devolved administrations do however benefit from UK wide investment such as through the 2013 AgriTech Strategy and the Industrial Strategy. Whilst preparing for all outcomes, as any responsible Government would, we are also preparing for the possibility of no deal. As such, we are working to understand and anticipate the effects of a no deal for the UK’s agriculture and farming sector, and extensive work is underway to ensure the country continues to operate as smoothly as possible from the day we leave.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Statutory Instruments

lord trees: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many statutory instruments in total the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) haslaid before Parliament, and (2) is planning to lay, in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and how many such instruments have been approved by Parliamentto date.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra has already laid a substantial number of the statutory instruments necessary in order to maintain a fully functioning statute book for our departure from the EU. As of 4 March, in relation to the UK leaving the EU, we have laid a total of 114 statutory instruments (23 of which were on behalf of Northern Ireland) before Parliament, and plan to lay a further 11 (3 on behalf of Northern Ireland). We have made a total of 63 SIs.

Recycling

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the publication of Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England on 18 December 2018, what support they intend to provide local authorities to help them improve recycling rates for hard-to-recycle materials.

lord gardiner of kimble: In the 25 Year Environment Plan we set out our commitment to accelerate the move to consistency in the materials collected for recycling. Our consultation, ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling Collections in England,’ which closes on 13 May, seeks views on waste collectors collecting a set of core materials for recycling from homes and businesses. Waste generated by households and businesses can however include materials that are ‘difficult to recycle’. Waste composition is expected to change over time and recycling technology is expected to improve. The core set of materials collected by local authorities therefore may need to change to include materials that were in the past ‘difficult to recycle’. Any new burdens on local authorities will be funded by the Government, though it is expected that the secondary market for plastics will be stimulated by the reform of the current packaging regulations as set out in the Resources and Waste strategy and the proposed plastic packaging tax. Taken together, these measures will help to reduce the amount of hard to recycle materials in waste and to increase recycling overall.

Home Office

Housing: Refugees

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they provide for permanent housing for refugees after the 28 day move-on period from Government-supported accommodation has ended.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no funding for permanent housing for refugees after the 28 day move on period has passed, however, after being granted asylum a refugee is able to claim mainstream benefits which includes housing benefit.

Breast Ironing

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure police and frontline staff are (1) aware of, and (2) trained in dealing with the practice of breast ironing in the UK.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation that will make the practice of breast ironing a stand-alone criminal offence; and if so, when they will introduce such legislation.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of breast ironing in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Breast ironing is child abuse and it is illegal. The Government is committed to challenging the cultural attitudes that underpin so called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA), as set out in our cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, published in 2016.The Government is committed to ensuring that front-line practitioners who may encounter women and girls who are at risk of, or who have undergone, breast ironing, are aware of this issue and have the confidence to tackle it.Border Force Officers at UK ports and airports are trained to look for those at risk of HBA and conduct regular joint operations (‘Operation Limelight’) with the police at airports across the country to raise awareness with poten-tial victims of HBA, including breast ironing. A specific briefing on breast ironing has also been shared with regional Border Force Safeguarding and Modern Slavery leads.In addition, the following documents provide advice and support for profes-sionals in respect of safeguarding children from abuse, including HBA:• Keeping Children Safe in Education (p.80-82): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2• Working Together to Safeguard Children: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2• CPS Legal Guidance on Honour-Based Violence and Forced Marriage: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/honour-based-violence-and-forced-marriageThe police have a range of offences at their disposal to deal with any cases of breast ironing they encounter, including common assault, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm. There are also specific offences of child cruelty and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm, both of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. As such, the Government does not have plans to introduce a stand-alone criminal offence. No assessments have been made of the prevalence of breast ironing in the UK.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 18 February (HL13507), whether both the remarks by that Minister on 27 March 2018 (HL Deb, cols 730–761), and private assurances he gave to Lord Hain that same day about the early provision of pensions for those who were severely physically injured in the Northern Ireland Troubles, still stand.

lord duncan of springbank: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has commissioned advice on a victims’ pension from the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland. The scope of that advice includes “a proposal for, or options for, the type of pension which should be provided including consideration of a two-phased approach to delivery with a physical injury pension being rolled out first followed by psychological (and any risks of this approach)”. As the Secretary of State has indicated, the UK Government’s priority in Northern Ireland continues to be the restoration of the NI Executive. If, despite best efforts, the NI Executive has not been restored by the time updated advice on a pension has been provided by the Victims Commissioner, the Northern Ireland Office will consider this.

Crime: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

lord hay of ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address cross-border crime between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: The UK Government is strongly supportive of the many initiatives led by the devolved authorities and carried out by UK law enforcement agencies and PSNI in conjunction with their counterparts in Ireland.The Joint Agency Task Force, established under the Fresh Start Agreement to enhance law enforcement cooperation aimed at tackling organised crime and criminality, is one such example. This Task Force brings together expertise from across law enforcement agencies, including PSNI, HMRC, NCA and Border Force and their counterparts in Ireland. This is an excellent example of how UK based agencies and bodies collaborate effectively with those in Ireland to tackle illegal activity.Relationships between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána (AGS) are strong across all strands of activity including on tackling the threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism, an issue for which the UK Government has lead responsibility. Their combined efforts continue to keep people safe on both parts of the island.

Treasury

Company Cars: Taxation

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to freeze the company car tax benefit in kind rates at the 2020/21 level after 2021.

lord bates: Decisions on future company car tax rates are made by the Chancellor balancing the need to ensure revenues remain sustainable with incentivising the uptake of cars with low carbon dioxide emissions. The government aims to announce rates at least two years ahead of implementation to provide certainty for employers, employees and fleet operators.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) employers, and (2) individuals have received demands for repayment of double tax relief resulting from errors in administration of pension contributions.

lord bates: The information requested is not available. Errors made by employers and pension providers have resulted in some individuals receiving either no tax relief on their pension contributions, or receiving tax relief twice. The HMRC investigation into this issue with a number of pension providers is ongoing.

VAT: Electronic Government

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the annual saving to HMRC of requiring VAT registered businesses to maintain their VAT records and to submit their VAT returns via Making Tax Digital; and what is their estimate of the incremental cost to the totality of VAT registered businesses of compliance with this requirement.

lord bates: HMRC’s revised assessment of impacts for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT estimates that there will be an ongoing net cost to VAT registered businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold of £37m. HMRC estimates that the behavioural impacts of Making Tax Digital will contribute over £1bn to the Exchequer by 2022 to 2023.

Non-domestic Rates

the earl of lytton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 12 February (218387), what are the measures and reforms which have led to the cuts to business rates in England that are worth more than £13 billion over the next five years; and what are the anticipated amounts attributable to each such measure and reform in each year of that period.

lord bates: Government has announced support for ratepayers in the form of more generous Small Business Rate Relief, linking the multiplier to CPI rather than RPI inflation, a new retail discount, raising the threshold for the standard multiplier, and a range of other smaller reliefs. In total, these measures are estimated to be worth over £13bn between 2019-20 and 2023-24. This figure includes approximately £6bn for making 100% Small Business Rate Relief permanent and raising the thresholds of the relief from 2017; around £6bn for switching from RPI to CPI inflation from 2018; £0.9bn for the two-year retail discount from 2019; and an estimated £0.5bn for raising the threshold of the standard multiplier from 2017.

UK Trade with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that UK small businesses may need to be represented by an agent to trade with the EU Single Market after Brexit.

lord bates: It remains government policy to secure a deal with the EU but, in the event of a no deal, trade with the EU will become subject to customs controls as is the case now for trade with the rest of the world. Businesses will need to consider, based on their own circumstances, how they want to engage with the customs system in the future. Most currently choose to appoint a customs agent to make declarations for them, but they can also use commercial software to self-serve. Recognising business concerns, HMRC has introduced a number of temporary easements to help business and to maintain the flow of trade across borders. Businesses should apply for an EORI on-line now and where appropriate, register for Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP).